A Warrior's Burden
by Kaye - K
Summary: After the loss of a warrior, the guys must deal with a new challenge. A young boy named Kasai looks to be next line to wear the armor of Hardrock.
1. Chapter 1

**A Warrior's Burden**

The snow drifted in wisps through the air, landing lightly on the ground. White powder lay as a blanket over the earth and gathered on the branches of trees and the tops of headstones. The wind blew, slightly ruffling the thick collars of a group of men walking through the cemetery. They marched on in procession with heavy feet treading the snow underfoot. A white tiger frequented the side of the first of the men. The tiger held a bough of flowers in its mouth as it trudged along solemnly. The sun was breaking through the clouds as the men stopped at a small memorial stone erected a year before in honor of a dear friend. The first man placed his hand on the tiger and stroked its back.

"Alright Whiteblaze." He said patting the tiger's side twice.

Whiteblaze stepped forward and dropped the bough of flowers at the foot of the memorial. The men stood in silence for a moment.

"We came to give you an update, Kento," said the first, his hand still resting on the tiger. "I'm sorry to say there hasn't been much action. I know you'd like to hear about a fight. It's been peaceful, and we're all enjoying it while it lasts. I've the same request as before, say 'hello' to my mother for me."

After he finished speaking the second stepped forward.

"Sorry, I don't have much more to say than Ryo. I am enjoying the break," he said in a calm voice. "Take care of yourself over there on the other side, and thanks for never giving up on me."

The two other men stood and said a few words in regards to their friend. The group lingered for a while, standing and saying nothing to each other. They were thinking, one about old times when they were younger and faced the world as friends united for a common purpose, another about his friend who he would never see again; the other about the future, and the last was mindfully battling his own demons of anger and frustration. At length, they all turned and began to walk away.

"It's hard to believe it's been a year isn't it?" Ryo said, trying to look his friends in the face, but ultimately turning his head back to the ground.

There was no response.

"That was nice what you said back there, Cye," one of them said eventually.

"Thanks, Rowen," Cye said. "I must say, I agree with Ryo. So much time has passed since…since everything happened, it's difficult even to think about."

The group was silent once again. They continued to walk and as they did the snow ceased to fall and the sun began to peek through the clouds only to be pushed out of view a moment later.

"An entire year," Ryo echoed with a twinge of resentment in his voice.

In the year that had passed since Kento's death, the men had begun to see themselves as set of decommissioned heroes. They were soldiers, but friends before that, and they pictured losing one of their own as a failing for each of them in their own respective ways. Neither would discuss their self-disgust, confusion, hatred, or emotional discomfort openly, but they could sense it almost intuitively within one another. However, they were all unaware of the extent to which it consumed each of their individual lives.

"It would be nice if these clouds would clear out," The fourth man said.

"The weather is predicted to be like this for the next two days, Rowen." Another responded.

"I never liked cloudy days, you know that Sage. They always seem to say that something bad is going to happen." Rowen said.

"Yeah, I know," Sage said. "But the weather can't be helped."

Rowen nodded his head in silent agreement.

"What's going to happen to Kento's armor?" He asked after a while.

"I'm not sure," Ryo said as he kicked up some snow in front of him. Everyone had been trying to avoid the subject, but they knew it was bound to be mentioned. "Not even Kayura seems sure of what will happen. These aren't exactly the armors of the ancient, but I'm sure they're somehow connected."

"There's not doubting that," Sage added. "As it is, we've only had the one battle to exercise the abilities of our new armors. Who knows what their nature is? There's no way of telling. Though, I think this discussion would be best suited for another time."

Ryo paused for a moment to think.

"Yeah, I you're probably right." He said.

As the group neared the entrance to the cemetery they all agreed to meet up again soon to discuss their future. They parted ways after a round of cordial handshakes and a few well-wishes.

Ryo returned home to his flat, he leaned himself into his door as he opened it and closed it softly behind him. He walked around his couch and stared out a large window opposite the wall from the entrance. His gaze was distracted by a small light blinking on his answering machine, situated on top of a small table in front of the doorway to the kitchen, indicating that he had a message. The message was from Mia, apologizing for not being able to join him at the cemetery today, and asking him to come to her house as soon as he could. Ryo left after grabbing himself something to eat and reassessing a sense of lingering doubt that kept resurfacing in his mind.

He arrived at Mia's house in the outskirts of the city and knocked on the door, there was no answer. He pushed the door open and looked around to find the house empty. He entered and climbed the staircase on his right, he found Mia in a room of of the hallway upstairs plugging away at her computer, images of the Ronin armors flashed on and off of the screen. He paused for a moment and looked around the room at the various pieces of armor hanging on the walls. He remembered how it was not too long ago that he and his friends had spent so much time in this house having many discussions in this room about a variety of issues from battle tactics to personal stories shared with each other.

"So, what is it you wanted to see me about, Mia?" Ryo said approaching his friend from behind.

Mia gave a small jump at the sound of voice, but was calmed once she turned saw Ryo standing there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in, I've become so engrossed in my research."

"What research?" Ryo asked.

"Well," Mia began. "I was reviewing information on how each of you told me you received your original armors. Needless to say, I was getting nowhere. Then I thought about it, it's so simple. These new armors didn't seek you, nor did you discover them…they were given to you…"

"What do you think the significance of that is?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but it could prove to be important in discovering what the nature of them is…" Mia said.

"Does this have anything to do with the armor of Hardrock?" Ryo ventured to ask. "Because if it does, I'd rather we discuss this at a time when all of us are present."

Ryo was referring to his friends. He did not feel comfortable discussing the designs of the Ronin Warriors, as they were called, without the other Ronins themselves.

"But now that the subject has been brought up, I think we should discuss it, Ryo of Wildfire," said a womanly voice from behind him.

"Kayura," Ryo said a little startled.

Kayura stepped further into the room. The rings on the staff she held shook as she moved. Kayura had obviously aged since her last meeting with the Ronin Warriors. Her face had developed a maturity that had been absent before taking on her role as the Ancient One.

"I thought Kayura may be of help," Mia said. "I consulted with her before talking to you, Ryo."

Ryo felt a little betrayed by this confession, but decided to leave it for now.

"What is your take on this Kayura?" Ryo asked, crossing his arms. He felt as though he had been purposely left out of an important discussion that related directly to his life. His feelings were not entirely unfounded.

"When that woman, Suzunagi, took it upon herself to create the new armors it was no decision of mine, or the armors for that matter." Kayura explained. "Whether you were initially willing to or not, the five of you received them. I have been brooding over this for sometime now. I believe it would be the will of the ancient's philosophy for me to choose the next bearer of the armor of Hardrock."

Ryo stiffened at Kayura's last remark.

"What a minute Kayura, the Ronin Warriors know these armors better than anyone. If anything, this should be up to us." He said defensively.

"You're going to have to trust my judgment Ryo, I may select the person, but it would be up to you to properly train them in the ways of a Ronin Warrior. Now, have you all kept the armor well guarded?"

"Yes." Ryo said, still a little reluctant to comply with Kayura's decision. He was still thinking about how the rest of the Ronin Warriors would react. However, he knew that the will of the Ancient One was wise and had always helped guide their spirits as warriors. "But…" He started again, "you have not considered the armor itself, about six months ago it began reacting to something, and it's developed a glow."

"Odd." Kayura thought for a moment. "You must bring me to it."

Ryo decided to comply with Kayura's request.

"Alright," He said. "Sorry, Mia, you're going to have to stay here."

"But.." Mia began.

"No one, not even you, should know the location of the armor, it's too risky."

"I understand."

Outside of Mia's house Ryo led Kayura into the woods. The walked fairly deep into the thick of the trees until they reached a small grove where couple of trees stood like sentinels around a small cave.

"Kento used to come here to train." Ryo said as he led Kayura into the cave. "We figured this would be the safest place to keep the armor, not even we knew about it until just before…"

Ryo paused as he looked to the end of the cave and saw a light pulsating from within. He returned with the orb which was necessary to summon the armor of Hardrock in his hand.

"You were correct Ryo," said Kayura. "It is behaving most strangely." Perhaps it _is_ seeking a new warrior."

Ryo looked hardened for a moment. A year still wasn't enough time for everything to sink in.

"Ryo I want to show you something." Kayura said. "I need to let you know that I have been searching out a few prospects."

"Prospects?" Ryo said as little confused.

"But we need to make out way into the city"

"The city?"

After returning to Mia's, Ryo and Kayura borrowed Mia's car made about a half an hour car trip into the city. They received a few awkward glanced from passing drivers as Kayura's staff rested partially outside of the car window. When they began walking through the city streets they were unable to avoid the curious glances from pedestrians.

Finally, the two of them appeared in front of a building with a sign that read _Sozo Teahouse_. The teahouse was obviously an old building with the traditional curves and angles of feudal Japanese architecture. The aging structure was a modest two-tiered building with a porch that extended around all four of its sides. Two half-moon windows in the front were currently shaded by blinds. The small teahouse was dwarfed by the two other buildings that stood on either side of it, they had once been competing teahouses but were remodeled into shops as part of a redevelopment project that been established in the area a few years ago. As a result, they were more modern-looking but still resembled the older looking structures, mimicking the wavy roof lines and other conventions of the older architecture. A single lamp-post stood in front of a short staircase leading up to the porch of the _Sozo Teahouse_. Kayura began to walk up the steps when Ryo stopped her.

"Why did you bring me _here_ Kayura?" Ryo asked.

"Follow me." She replied. "There's someone who you should see."

"Listen Kayura, if we're going to make any decisions today I'd rather have the guys with us."

"There's no need to make any decision yet, Ryo. Just follow me."

The two of them entered the teahouse. Ryo looked around and took in the busy scene that surrounded him. The inside of the teahouse was one large open room with two rows of six low wooden tables spaced evenly down the expanse of the floor. Four private booths were nestled on the left and right hand sides of the room with sliding doors. The walls were shaded in a warm yellow color with painted lavender wisteria vines stretching in a wistful pattern along them. A large mural on the farthest wall, where the doorway to the back of the teahouse was situated, depicted the scene of a woman, holding a paper umbrella while crossing an arched bridge over a small pond and gazing into the water at her reflection as cherry blossoms fell from the trees surrounding her.

At least six persons could sit at every table. Though not every seat was filled there was enough bustle and conversation in the room to create an atmosphere of constant movement among the servers and clients. Ryo did not feel overwhelmed by the moving environment, the voices stayed at a soft personal level as the customers spoke to one another, sipping their tea and eating their meals. A thin, dark-haired boy of about fifteen came to greet them. He wore a blue kimono which only emphasized his small frame and awkwardly board shoulders, he led them to a table near the large mural and bowed asking them if they needed anything.

"Just tea, thank you." Kayura said and dismissed the boy.

He bowed again and walked away.

"I have been doing some research of my own in the months since Kento's death." Kayura began.

Ryo shifted uncomfortably on his floor cushion, and rested his arms on the table's cold surface.

"I have been closely watching various young men from the ages of thirteen to twenty. That boy you just saw is the one I have singled out to be the next possible possessor of Kento's armor."

"He's just a kid." Ryo blurted out.

"He's no younger than you were when you became a Ronin Warrior. He's been properly trained as a fighter by his grandfather who happens to own this teahouse…"

Ryo still felt uneasy. There was something that seemed awkward about the whole situation. He almost felt as though he was tainting Kento's memory, but he had to remind himself that this was for the good of the team and the Ronin Warriors. As it was, Ryo was thinking about the reaction the guys were going to have to this. Now, more than ever, he felt the need to talk with them.

"What about these other boys you're talking about? Why this one?" Ryo was interested to know if Kayura knew what she was doing.

Kayura could see that Ryo did not completely trust her and explained:

"I had three other boys who looked promising. However, neither of them made an impression on me as much as this young man."

"What's his name?" Ryo asked.

"Kasai Sozo, as you can tell he comes from a prominent family, but you wouldn't be able to tell by his manners, he's very humble," said Kayura.

"That almost sounds like Kento." Ryo thought to himself. "So, what of these other three?" He asked aloud.

"The first was about eighteen and was a champion in many tournaments in and around Tokyo. He was a good fighter, and he knew it too. However, when he finally advanced into higher level fighting arenas he let his overconfidence bar his judgment and eventually finished on the bottom rung of participants in the tournaments. His folly was that he was too prideful.

There was another young man, who _did_ finish on the top in the same circuit as the first. I only gave him consideration because of his abilities though. What he lacked in character and morality he seemed to make up for in fighting, but I realized that, for him to be a Ronin Warrior, this could not be the case. Yes, this young man moved onto the next level, but he was eventually disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct in and outside of the ring.

The final boy I would guess was the youngest, thirteen. He didn't fight as often as the other two because he lived on a small rice farm. He would often go off and practice by himself and he showed real promise until his accident a few weeks ago."

"What happened?" Ryo asked.

"His leg was run over by a cart at the market. It's not likely he'll ever be able to use it properly again, poor child."

Ryo felt a small pain of remorse for this young boy he never knew, struck down even before the prime of his life.

"So," Kayura continued. "I have decided that Kasai would be an almost ideal candidate to train, he's still young, moldable, and familiar with the fight."

Ryo considered Kayura's words as he watched Kasai walking back towards them with some tea on a tray. Kasai, suddenly lost his footing as he tripped over an old man's cane resting against a table in front of him, spilling the tea all over the floor.

"Ai! Boy watch where you're going!" The old man yelled.

A distinguished looking older man came out from the back of the teahouse in response to the commotion. He had a heavy brow and a head of long white hair fastened with a tie. This was Kasai's grandfather, Ookami Sozo.

"Ookami, I'm not going to ask you again to keep this grandson of yours in line! Clumsy, clumsy boy." The old man said bitterly.

"My apologizes sir. Kasai!" Ookami said sternly. "You need to learn to be more careful, clean up this mess and finish helping your customers. I will see you afterward."

Ookami disappeared again into the backroom. Kasai bowed to the old man whose cane he had tripped over.

"My apologies sir." Kasai said in a calm tone. "I will learn to be more careful in the future. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to make amends for my mistake."

"He's not quick to anger like Kento." Ryo noted silently. "I suppose we'll find out whether that works to his advantage."

"You'll learn!" said the old man. "You'll need to learn a lot more to get by in life. Do as your grandfather said, and get to cleaning up this mess, and bring me more sake."

Kasai apologized to Ryo and Kayura and assured them that he would have their tea just as soon as he finished mopping up that which he had "so carelessly spilled."

"How exactly did you find him?" Ryo asked turning to Kayura.

"As I said, he was one of the many I came by in my search. How, is a story for anther time, he did stand out though. You saw the way he interacted with that man when he spilled the tea. He has an innate ability to control himself. It is not only in this instance that he has shown this." Kayura said.

Ryo thought for a moment. From what he could perceive, Kasai did not have any attributes of a warrior. He was a little small for his age and seemed rather unsure of himself. After he had finished cleaning, Kasai brought Ryo and Kayura their tea.

"My apologies again for the delay," Kasai said as he began to take the tray away. "If there is anything you need, please notify me."

"Kasai, before you go I would like to speak with you a moment." Kayura said quickly.

"I would like to oblige you Kayura, but first I must speak with my grandfather." Kasai said politely.

"Of course."

Kasai walked into the back of the teahouse past the kitchen and shelves of tea cups from all over the country. His grandfather was somewhat of a collector of tea cups and on his frequent visits into the different regions of Japan he liked to pick up new and interesting cups. Kasai reached the very back of the teahouse in which a small space had been set up with a desk for his grandfather to use for business purposes.

Presently, Kasai found his grandfather sitting in the cramped space behind his desk pouring over books of the teahouse's finances. The space was poorly lit, as only Ookami's small desk lamp served as a source of light for the small backroom. Smoke drifted from Ookami's long-handled pipe as he flipped through the pages of the ledger in front on him, scowling as he smoked. Kasai approached slowly.

"You wanted to speak with me grandfather?" He said bowing respectfully.

Ookami took another long draw from his pipe.

"Kasai," he murmured. "I would appreciate it if, in the future, you would be more careful around our customers."

Kasai fiddled with his long kimono sleeve for a moment.

"With all due respect sir…." He began.

"I know it was not your fault." Ookami interrupted, he did not sound angry. "However, Mr. Sing is an important person and business man. Just make sure you are especially hospitable to him today."

Ookami saw from his grandson's expression that he was struggling with the idea of pleasing such an unpleasant individual.

"He is, I think, a rather unhappy man." Ookami added calmly.

He waved his hand, signaling that Kasai was free to go. Kasai bowed again and left his grandfather piping like a chimney and continuing to stare grimly at his books. Kasai walked back through the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of sake from the shelves. When he returned to Mr. Sing's table the old gentleman was just as honory as before and snorted when he saw the young boy offer the bottle of rice wine to him.

"I hope this is complimentary," said Mr. Sing gruffly.

"It is, sir," Kasai said through his teeth and forcing a smile.

Mr. Sing took the bottle greedily and began to pour a large amount of sake for himself.

"Well, don't sit there staring at me boy. Go clean up more of whatever messes you may have made."

"Yes, sir."

Kasai walked with a bit of a heavier step after leaving Mr. Sing and returned to Ryo and Kayura's table.

"What was it you wished to speak with me about Lady Kayura?" He asked politely.

Ryo had been observing Kasai's interaction with Mr. Sing and could see that he had some fire in his eyes from the want to cause some form of bodily harm to the old business man.

"Kasai," said Kayura. "This is Ryo Sanada, he's a colleague of mine."

Kasai bowed deeply, Ryo simply nodded.

"Kasai," she started again. "How long has your grandfather been training you?"

Kasai was not sure of what Kayura meant. Of course, his grandfather meant for him to take over the teahouse business after he passed on, anyone who came to the teahouse knew that, he ventured to guess that this is what Kayura was referencing.

"My grandfather has been teaching me the ways in which teahouses…"

Kayura understood where Kasai was heading with his response.

"That's not what I mean," she said waving her hand. "Would I be correct in assuming that he has trained you to fight?"

Kasai was a little surprised, no one knew about his grandfather's training him. The fact was that his grandfather never allowed him to fight outside of their own home, in a tournament or otherwise. Nor did he allow Kasai to attend a proper school of martial arts. He never gave a reason, but had always assured Kasai that he was not receiving any lesser quality in training by not attending a school in which, "The fighting lessons were so monotonous and the fighting styles so widespread that any youth sparing with another was sure to figure out his opponent's moves within two matches." This was his grandfather's belief at least. Kasai responded slowly to her question.

"You would be correct," he said with caution in his voice. "If you wouldn't mind me asking, how did you know of my grandfather training me?"

Kayura did not wish to discuss the matter at the moment and pressed another question upon him.

"And for how long had you been in training?"

"Seven years," he said robotically. "But how….?"

Kayura could see he was going to persist on knowing where she received her information.

"Your grandfather was a great fighter himself in his day. You do not expect me to believe that he would not pass onto his only male heir a few of his fighting techniques?" Kayura said hoping this would satisfy his curiosity.

Kasai figured that this response made sense. At one point in time, Ookami Sozo ruled the ring in the tournaments throughout Japan. He had been one of the top ranking fighters, and was regarded as a master of his craft. Old age and slight rheumatism were the only factors that drove him away from the ring. In truth, Kayura had been watching sparing matches between Kasai and his grandfather for months, unbeknownst to either of the Sozo men.

"Are you confident in your skills?" she asked.

Kasai answered with what he thought was an appropriate response.

"I believe I still have much to learn." He said safely.

"And have you ever fought with anyone other than your grandfather?" Ryo asked abruptly.

Kasai hesitated. Inwardly, he believed that his answer would weigh heavily upon Ryo's impression of him.

"No, I haven't." He said.

Ryo averted his eyes from Kasai for a moment, enough for Kasai to see that he was slightly put-off by what he had just said. Ryo looked at Kayura and was silent.

"Thank you, Kasai." Kayura said and dismissed him.

"It was nice to meet you." Kasai said as he bowed to Ryo.

Ryo nodded in return and Kasai returned to the back of the teahouse. Kasai's grandfather was standing in the doorway to the tea-cup room waiting for him.

"What were those two talking to you about?" He asked.

"They were asking me about fighting, grandfather." Kasai said promptly.

Ookami's forehead creased and he told Kasai to continue his work.

"You do not seem to have much faith in the boy," Kayura said to Ryo.

"I hardly know him, Kayura." Ryo said.

"You may discuss this with the other Ronin Warriors. In the meantime, Ookami, the boy's grandfather, has reluctantly agreed to let him train with you after his lessons during the week. I am waiting only for your decision, Ryo."

Ryo was surprised that Kayura had already looked so far into Kasai's future as a potential Ronin Warrior, she obviously placed great trust in the his abilities, but this only made Ryo more uneasy. He sipped the last of his tea and stared into his cup for a moment. Ryo's mother had once told him that some people use tea leaves as a means to read their fortunes. From what he could see at the bottom of his cup, the idea was utter nonsense. There was nothing but specks of black clinging to the sides and pooling at the bottom. How could anything so ridiculous enter the mind of a sensible person? Tea leaves were not what would make this decision, or determine his future or Kasai's for that matter. Ryo felt that the pressure of decision-making weighing hard upon his shoulders.

"It would be best if you would notify me as soon as possible." Kayura said.

"I'll let you know." Ryo responded sullenly.

The next day Ryo met with his friends.

"Another Ronin Warrior, so soon?" Cye said in shock. "Ryo, when did you speak with Kayura about this?"

"Just yesterday," Ryo said. "But I told her I wanted to talk with you guys first."

Ryo was sincere. He had felt uneasy the entire time he and Kayura were at the _Sozo Teahouse_ the day before.

"I would hope so," Sage said. "What do we know about this kid?"

Ryo could see that his friends were angered by his timing, waiting until the next day to call them to his place and notify them about the recent dealings between Kayura and a possible Ronin Warrior. There was not much he could do though. He had spent the better part of the night after he and Kayura separated walking around the streets of Tokyo and assessing his thoughts on the matter. Certainly, the guys could understand that he was not taking the idea of a "replacement" so lightly.

"Only that his name is Kasai Sozo, and that he's been trained to fight." Ryo said calmly.

"You're lucky we hadn't left town yet, Ryo." Sage said as he leaned himself against a wall, crossing his arms. "This is something that we need to discuss as a group."

"Don't you think I understand that? I called you all here didn't I?" Ryo was becoming a little frustrated. "What we should be focusing on right now is this kid, Kayura's seems to think he's got something."

"Yeah, but from what you were saying, Ryo, he's never been in a real fight." Rowen said.

"As far as I know, he hasn't."

Ryo knew Kasai's true fighting experience would be an issue, he had counted it against Kasai himself when he had heard it initially.

"So, what are we sitting around here for? There's no questioning this decision, he's not ready to be a Ronin Warrior." Rowen said a little too quickly and earnestly.

"Kayura suggested training him." Ryo said.

"Where would we find the time to do that?" Cye said. "We've all got our own lives, and he his. There's now guarantee he'd be ready if another enemy were to show up, and there's the matter of bringing someone else into this, do we really want to interrupt this boy's life? We didn't have a choice, but from his vantage point, he does!"

Ryo was beginning to feel as though a great cloud was creeping over everyone's conscious. He knew, and they knew, that this argument was getting them no where. Maybe they were all just arguing for the sake of arguing, to postpone any decision making.

"If you look at it that way, Cye," Sage began, "what other option do we have we're out a team member either way we look at it."

Ryo felt a slight relief when Sage spoke those words, and a tad bit of reluctance to agree with him as well.

"We don't want to rush into anything, Sage," Rowen added.

"That's not what I'm suggesting at all, but it has been a year and as much as I can't imagine anyone else fulfilling our, and Kento's duty, the fact is Kento is gone and we are not prepared for another battle." Sage responded cooly.

"You're right, Sage," Ryo said. "I don't think any of us are willing to let Kento's memory die, but that's not what we're doing here guys. Like Sage said, we're making this step for the Ronin Warriors."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ryo tried to concentrate as he browsed through the goods at the market. He had been staring at empty cupboards for weeks and knew that he needed some essentials, but his mind kept wandering back to Kasai.

After much deliberation, and about a week of debates between friends, the guys decided to train Kasai. However, no decision would have to be made in regards to a new Ronin Warrior until they were all in agreement on how well Kasai was progressing. The training schedule that they worked out would not be easy for either of the Ronin Warriors to adhere to. They all lived separate lives and neither of them could allot any time to train Kasai together. As it was, Sage and Cye could only manage to free up the third day of the week. So, Ryo had struck up a deal with Kayura that she would accompany Kasai to a small dojo in the city where the boy would spend the latter part of three days during the week training with the guys on an individual basis and, if need be, they could always schedule an extra session on weekends.

With a small bag of apples, and a jar of milk in hand, Ryo considered his shopping sufficiently done for the day and returned home.

Kasai walked out of the teahouse to go his regular route to school the next morning. School would be another mundane day of reading, writing, and arithmetic, but what awaited him afterward would be something entirely new. He was weary about his training, and that his grandfather had consented to it. Ookami Sozo had always kept Kasai under close surveillance, especially when it came to fighting. Before, Kasai had suspected that his grandfather simply needed someone to pass on all of his trade-winning secrets to, but perhaps there was more to the old man's methods than he originally supposed. Then again, how could Ookami have known that his grandson would one day be training to be a Ronin Warrior? These were questions that Kasai vainly attempted to answer on his own.

He was excited and scared about what he would be working toward during his training sessions with the legendary Ronin Warriors. The Ronins were known throughout Japan, but seldom talked about. Business matters and everyday life were more important issues in the eyes of the public, but by chance whenever a crisis happened, the Ronin Warriors were suddenly not forgotten. If anything, the position as a warrior for justice seemed thankless, but "It is not something one does for praise," as Kasai's grandfather had told him. Kasai was not sure what he was getting himself into, or if it was he who had gotten himself into it was in the first place, but he was willing to go through with it, if not for himself, than for his grandfather.

Ryo walked to the dojo where he would meet Kayura and Kasai. He had two wooden katanas slung over his back and a bo staff in his hand. When he reached the appointed place he took a moment to stare at the building, it looked like it was going to fall down any minute. The wooden posts holding up parts of the roof looked dry. The paint was a faded green and peeling away from weather damage. There were two dragons perched on either side of the roof over the entry way, each had their left talon raised. One of the dragons, however, had lost its talon over the years belittling it as a threatening presence proudly guarding its domain. Everything about the dojo seemed ill-cared for. The eaves of the roof were fraught with spider webs and even the air around the place smelled musty.

"This can't be right," Ryo thought to himself.

He checked the address again and confirmed that he was in the correct place. When he walked forward toward the entrance he noticed that the door was ajar. Thinking that it was possible the place had been abandoned before he got there, he pushed it open and walked inside. Ryo was a little surprised as he walked and saw in a middle-aged man in a gray kimono, sitting on his legs, snoozing away. The man hadn't a speck of hair on his head and was in a deep sleep from what Ryo could tell, someone might have mistaken his state of slumber for meditation had he not been snoring so loudly.

"Excuse me," Ryo said in a normal tone of voice.

The man stared up and looked at Ryo for a moment with a startled expression. He opened and closed his eyes a number of times before reaching into his pockets and drawing out a pair of large-rimmed glasses, sitting them on his nose. Though he felt his intrusion into the building was serious, Ryo could not help but suppress a chuckle when he saw how much the man's glasses magnified his small beady eyes. After getting his bearings and sniffling a few times, the man began to speak.

"Hello there," he said cheerfully. He was a plump little man with a round face, the tint of his puffed cheeks suggested he'd had a bit too much to drink that afternoon before dozing off.

"Welcome to Hana Dojo. You must excuse me we're not used to many visitors."

Ryo looked around the room to try and see who the "we" was that the man was referencing.

"As you could probably tell, I usually take this opportunity for an afternoon nap, ho ho. My name is Nabe Hana. How may I help you then?" He asked.

Mr. Hana was a very lighted-hearted man, whose dojo had seen better days, but he was a natural optimist and a drop in business never discouraged him.

"I'm here to meet a couple people. I hope you do not mind, I just…" Ryo paused as he looked around, he didn't see anyone else in the building, no students or instructors. The only thing about the dojo that resembled a martial arts hall was its structure, and that wasn't saying much. The building seemed completely empty aside from him and Mr. Hana, he heard no noises coming from anywhere.

"Is there a room that I may make use of?" Ryo ventured to ask.

"Well, let me see now." Mr. Hana said as he rubbed his bald head. "The only person we had planned on seeing today was a woman named Kayura."

"Yes, that's who I am here to meet."

"Oh, well then that's just fine. If you would just follow that hallway there's a room at the end for you."

There were four hallways leading away from the reception area, three across from Mr. Hana and one straight across from the doorway. Ryo was sent down the fourth one, the darkest of the three. There was nothing ominous about it, but Ryo stumbled a few times as he looked through the doorways of some of the empty classrooms he passed. Upon reaching the end of the hallway Ryo slid open the door to his room and looked around. There were a few mats laid out across the floor and desks that looked as though they were hastily pushed against the walls.

The windows were all opened, letting in a pleasant breeze and a number of insects as well. Ryo had expected Kayura to be there before him, but from the moment he arrived he figured that he would be the one to wait.

Ryo dropped his things and surveyed the room a bit more. The room was a decent size with three low windows on each wall apart from the doorway, two of the windows looked out directly into a vale of trees.

Ryo looked through the window seated across from the door and, through the trees, saw a large open area that was empty except for a small wooden stand with two steps. When he turned back around he saw Kayura and Kasai standing in the doorway. Kayura was dressed in long robes and Kasai wore an outfit suitable enough for physical activity.

Ryo bowed and suggested that they proceed. Kayura sat down in a corner of the room to observe quietly.

"First I would like to ask you a few questions, Kasai." Ryo said.

"Yes, sir?" Kasai asked.

"There's no need to call me sir." Ryo said lightening his tone.

"Okay." Kasai said allowing a small smile to cross his lips.

"I'd like to get an idea of where you and your grandfather left off. To see how much you already know."

As Ryo spoke, he picked up one of his Katanas and began to play with it. Kasai answered directly.

"Well…Ryo." Kasai stuttered. He was not used to addressing a teacher so informally. "I'm not exactly sure how to put it, my grandfather taught me many things, but from what I have seen at the tournaments…"

"I thought you weren't allowed to go to the tournaments." Ryo said, stopping his sword play.

"Grandfather let's me go to watch in order to gain an understanding of the craft, just not participate. So, when I measure what I see the boys doing in tournament fighting against what my grandfather has taught me, I would say I'm pretty well along. I am proficient if that's what you need to know."

"Maybe it would be better if we spared a bit, then you could show me." Ryo said.

Kasai looked nervously at Ryo's Katana, he was still unarmed.

"We won't be needed this at the moment." Ryo said dropping his sword in response to Kasai's expression.

The two took their stances and began to spar. They went on for quite a while. Kayura, not unfamiliar with battle herself, watched them contentedly. She thought that Kasai was doing rather well.

"You're not doing too bad." Ryo said. "Let's try something else besides those warm up exercises."

Kasai steadied himself for the next phase. He would be lying if he told Ryo that he was not already feeling a little tired. Not being able to fight in a tournament did nothing for his stamina. And though his grandfather was an experienced trainer, there was no doubt that he had slowed down in his old age. Only a few times during their training had Kasai ever gotten a glimpse of what his grandfather must have been like in his heyday, and one occasion was purely accidental.

Kasai's grandfather had been talking about the old days when he would fight for money to support his family, before he opened his teahouse. He was telling Kasai about an opponent named Zetsumei who liked to fight dirty. Zetsumei was an extremely sly person who made it a point never to be caught in the act of cheating.

"I managed to beat him every time, Kasai," his grandfather told him, "but I always had to spend a week outside of the ring afterward, your grandmother and I had a difficult time those many years." Ookami was not a belligerent man, but he became so engrossed in his story that, as he continued to train his grandson, he forgot himself for a moment and sent Kasai sailing across the room with a swift blow to the stomach. Kasai knew that his grandfather never meant to hurt him, and so in an odd way he considered himself lucky that he was momentarily pummeled by the great Ookami Sozo.

"Are we going to use the weapons now?" Kasai asked Ryo.

"We may not even get to those today." Ryo said taking a fighting stance.

Kasai responded to Ryo with a nod and took his stance as well. The two continued to work for another hour, Ryo would stop Kasai repeatedly to give him instruction or correct his movements. Kasai listened attentively as he knew a good student should. However, to Kasai's frustration, the interruptions became more frequent as the session grew longer. And after a while, Ryo could see aggravation building up behind Kasai's eyes, not ignoring this, he decided to keep going. For what seemed like another time in one thousand Ryo stopped Kasai again.

"Alright let's try this exercise again, slowly." Ryo suggested. "I think you're doing okay up until the third time you try to block me, let's try to fix that."

Kasai tightened his muscles and proceeded to comply with Ryo's request. The two began to continue their exercise almost in slow motion. When they came to the point where Ryo had stopped Kasai before, they stopped.

"There's your mistake," Ryo said. "You're trying to predict where I'm going to hit you. Sometimes trying to sense out a pattern in a fighter may work, but more often you'll be up against someone who will know better than to fight predictably."

Kasai only nodded to show that he understood.

"Now, let's speed it up," Ryo said.

They repeated the exercise, faster this time. Kasai blocked everyone of Ryo's moves successfully this time.

"Again, faster," Ryo said.

They repeated it again.

"Faster." Ryo echoed.

They repeated the exercise many more time after this, each time faster than before. Kasai felt he was gradually improving. After a while Ryo stopped prompting Kasai to start again and the exercise became a silent routine. When Ryo stopped and put his arms down, Kasai followed suit, he figured that they had finally quit the exercise. As he stood waiting for more instruction, breathing heavily, he gazed over Ryo's shoulder for a moment to look out the window to see how dark it had gotten outside. In the split second that he turned his eyes away from Ryo he found himself being knocked onto the floor. He lay on the floor, unmoving as Ryo stood over him.

"I didn't say we were finished." Ryo said smiling.

Ryo may have been in good humor over the incident, but Kasai was thoroughly embarrassed. Was Ryo trying to make him angry, he wondered? Ryo had stopped advancing on him, what else was he to think? Kasai saw it as Ryo deliberately taking advantage of an opportunity to make him look even more stupid than he already felt after repeating the same stupid blocking exercise over and over again. Why he would do this was beyond Kasai's comprehension, but his mind was now racing to fast to put any more thought into the matter.

After seeing that Kasai was not getting up right away, Ryo offered his hand. Kasai jumped up on his own, his eyebrows lowered, and immediately got into a fighting stance. Kasai's thin frame and bedraggled hair, mangy from the day, made him looked less than threatening to Ryo, who was a little perplexed at the boy's sudden change in attitude. Ryo shot a glance at Kayura, who looked at him questioningly.

"We're done for today, Kasai." Ryo said turning around to gather his things.

Kasai stood speechless for a moment, he wanted to finish what he started, and he felt Ryo was ending the session before he could regain what semblance of pride he had left that day.

"Wait a minute…" He said a little more sternly than he had intended to come across.

Ryo turned away from Kasai to pick up his bo and slung his katanas over his shoulder.

"I'll see you next week." He said he said lightly, then he turned, nodded to Kayura, and left.

As Kasai and Kayura walked out of the dojo, Kasai sighed heavily.

"You shouldn't be so disappointed in yourself, Kasai," Kayura said. "You did well."

As much as he desired encouragement, Kasai didn't agree with Kayura.

"Thanks, but I feel like I could do better," he said.

"We all do when we're first starting out," she said. "Everything else will come to you in time."

"I know," he said. "And I'm willing to wait."

Kayura was pleased by this statement. If one positive thing could be said about this young man it was that he was willing and ready to learn. He didn't seem like the type of person who would rush into things, a vast contrast to Ryo's form of handling delicate situations when he was Kasai's age.

"I leave you here, Kasai," Kayura said when they had once again entered the busy part of the city. "I'll see you tomorrow, just try to remember everything you learned today."

"I won't have any trouble remembering, Lady Kayura, it's putting it into practice that I need to work on. Good night," Kasai said.

The two figures turned away from each other with a bow and parted ways for the evening. Kasai walked down the streets past various store fronts, with everything from pet fish to rat poison, thinking about how he would do the next day. He still had yet to meet the other men who would be training him for however long it would take to deem him ready for whatever it is they were planning with him. Kayura had attempted to explain things to him, but even she seemed doubtful about where he fit into the picture of these four men and their plans.

He chuckled to himself, it seemed odd. "I wonder if they have really thought this all through?" he pondered jokingly. He was done with being serious for the day, he put it on when he was around Ryo and Kayura, and he knew that he would have to resume his somewhat austere attitude once he walked in the door at home. It wasn't that his grandfather didn't allow lightheartedness, he was just a very serious person most of the time, and this was quite understandable in Kasai eyes. "You inherited your silliness from me," his grandmother would tell him on occasion when his grandfather wasn't listening. "There's nothing wrong with it, just keep it between you and I though. Your grandfather can only handle so much laughter because he's such a bad jokester himself! He'd get jealous." Kasai wasn't sure what his grandmother meant, but it made for great conversation between them when nobody else was listening. He wouldn't dare talk about his grandfather in such a way with anyone else but her.

His pleasant thoughts were interrupted when he felt an onslaught on hunger lurch into his stomach. His first thought was too get home as quickly as he could. He put his hands in his pockets to guard them from the cold as he hurried his pace and was glad to find that he had some money left over from the last time he had worn that same pair of pants. With any luck, he wouldn't have to eat his aunt Yumi's cooking, it was always her night to cook on Mondays and he wasn't too fond of the food she usually produced when she arose from the smoke ridden kitchen. He had to admit, she was giving it her best effort though.

He stopped at a cart along the side of the road that had bags of rice sitting on a few wooden shelves stacked at least three bags hugh, it was manned by a boy who looked a couple of years younger than he was leaning with one arm on a crutch, his free hand holding what appeared to be a comic book. There was a small table to the boy's left with a steaming pot of rice set on it and set of bowls piled next to the pot. Kasai approached the cart. The boy looked up from his reading and smiled.

"Hello," he said.

"How much for a bowl of rice?" Kasai asked holding out all of the money that he had in the palm of his hand.

"About half of what you have there," the boy replied.

"I'll take one then," Kasai said handing him the money.

He watched as the boy set the crutch off to the side and turn to fill his bowl with a good portion of rice. He handed the bowl to Kasai along with a pair of chopsticks. Kasai looked towards the sky as the sun was beginning to set.

"Sorry, if it's cold," the boy said handing him the bowl.

"That's alright, do you mind if I return this to you tomorrow?" he asked taking hold of the small bowl.

The boy seemed a little hesitant to answer.

"I'll buy a whole bag of rice too, I promise," Kasai added.

The boy nodded and Kasai thanked him, turning homeward.


	3. Chapter 3

**A Warrior's Burden**

**Chapter 3**

Kasai heaved his bag onto his back as he left his last class of the day, English. It was his worst subject and he didn't need to stick around any longer. He hated asking for help. As he was walking away from the school he saw a friend of his. He ran to catch to catch up with him until he noticed he was being followed. Kasai turned and saw Kayura approaching from behind. He slowed his pace and watched his friend turn the corner. Kayura took a few steps forward to join him.

"How are you today, Kasai?" she asked, smiling.

"Fine, thank you," he said. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder and turned his gaze to the ground.

Though he had seen Kayura for almost a month know as a customer in his grandfather's tea house he wasn't completely prepared to bridge the gap of awkward silences with friendly conversation. They continued walking along the road for a while. Kasai watched as the cars passed them on the street. He wasn't looking toward Kayura whose formal dress made her seem slightly larger than him. She was wearing a lengthy, white, rather traditional kimono with long swinging sleeves that almost touched the ground. She looked as though she were prepared for a wedding.

"Do you know who you will be meeting with today?" Kayura said.

"No," he said.

"It's rude not to look at the person who's addressing you, Kasai."

"I'm sorry," he said looking up, offering a slight smile.

"You'll be training with two of the Ronin Warriors today. Sage Date and Cye Mouri."

Date? Kasai recognized the name. He had heard it history class more than once.

"I gather that you are familiar with Sage's family history," Kayura said.

Kasai nodded.

"Sage's family is descended from General Date Masamune," Kayura said. "They are very proud. To be honest, I believe Sage will be a very difficult person to impress. "

Kasai adjusted the collar on his school uniform, he felt uncomfortable. When he and Kayura arrived at the dojo with the twin dragons Mr. Hana was sitting near the entrance with a book and pen in his hand. He nodded his head toward Kasai and Kayura as they walked in and continued to the back of the building. Kasai looked down the hall and saw that the door to their room was already open. He saw a brown-haired figure flash by the frame of the doorway followed by a thud.

"We're just practicing, Sage. Take it easy," he heard a voice say.

"There's no reason to take it easy," another responded.

Kasai felt a lump forming in his throat. As he and Kayura entered the room he saw the brown-haired man rise from the floor. The other man in the room was Sage Date. Sage had lighter hair than his companion which covered his right eye. He stood towering over Kasai. His broad shoulders filled out the loose white clothing he was wearing. He didn't smile when he rested his eye upon Kasai. Cye rose and bowed.

"Pleased to meet to you Kasai, I'm Cye."

"Pleased to meet you," Kasai returned with a bow.

"Hello, Kayura," Cye said.

Kayura returned the gesture and looked over toward Sage.

"I am Sage Date," Sage said, he bowed deeply from where he stood.

"Pleased to meet you, Sage" Kasai said, growing tired of the pleasantries.

Sage's eye flickered for a moment. Kayura placed her hand on Kasai's shoulder.

"I'll be leaving you for now, Kasai," she said. "I have some business to attend to. I'll be back when you're finished."

She lifted her hand and glided through the doorway, her heavy robes trailing behind her. A silence pervaded the room for a few moments.

"Well, should we get started," Cye said slapping his hands together.

"Yes, but I'd like to make something clear before we start," Sage said. "Kasai, in the future you should address Cye and I as _sensei_,"

Kasai nodded to show his comprehension.

"Why are you going to make him do that, Sage?" Cye said quickly. "He can call us by our names. That's how we address each other."

Sage's shoulders rose.

"If we're going to train him properly we should act like proper teachers. This is a formality that should be observed between an instructor and a student."

Sage's sense of "formality" didn't appear to sit too well with Cye.

"All right then," Cye said turning to Kasai. "You can call him _sen_s_ei_, but 'Cye' suits me just fine."

Sage threw a glance out the open window, he appeared disappointed. Kasai didn't want to be in the middle of an argument his first time meeting these two men, so he devised an escape plan as fast as he could.

"Please," he said, "it would be much easier for me if I may call you both _sensei_."

"That's fine," Cye said, "whichever you feel comfortable with."

Kasai looked toward Sage to see his reaction, but he saw no change of expression.

"Your Grandfather tells me that you work well with a sword," Sage said turning to Kasai.

"You've spoken to my grandfather?" Kasai asked. He was surprised.

Had each of these men been watching him and his grandfather?

"Briefly, earlier today," Sage said turning around and picking something up off of the floor. "My father and your grandfather are old acquaintances. Yet, I've never had the pleasure of meeting Ookami Sozo until recently. Ryo doesn't believe you are ready for swordplay. He said you had trouble engaging in simple _kumite_ sparring techniques."

Kasai felt his face flush, it didn't set well with him that already they were discussing his faults. Sage turned around, he had a large _nodachi_ sword in his hand.

"Only with a single katana," Kasai said, afraid that Sage expected him to wield a sword twice his height. "I'm fairly good with a single katana."

"Hand to hand combat isn't your strength is it, Kasai?"

"It's not my weakness either, _sensei_" Kasai said.

Sage placed his sword on the floor in front of him.

"Then you wouldn't mind offering us some proof then?" Cye said.

Kasai turned and saw Cye standing with his legs apart and his fists raised. Before he could think he felt a blow to the side of his head. Not extremely rough, but it was enough for him to feel the need to retaliate. He returned the blow, striking at Cye's abdomen.

"You seem fast enough," Cye said, "but you weren't able to impress Ryo."

Cye took another jab at Kasai's head. He evaded.

"C'mon then."

Kasai moved out of the way.

Cye advanced toward him and quickly threw his fits at him three successive times. Once at his head, then his legs, then his head again. Kasai continued to block Cye's attacks while moving backwards.

"I had a friend once," Cye said as he leveled a hit toward Kasai's legs, "the more you said what a poor fighter he was, the better he fought."

"I'm not a poor fighter," Kasai said, "I just haven't fought a lot."

"It's good you know where you stand, Kasai," Sage said from the sidelines, "but don't use that as an excuse."

"I'm not," Kasai said stopping to look at Sage.

Cye took this as an opportunity and knocked Kasai on the matted floor with a kick to the hip. Kasai landed and saw Sage cross his arms. Sage's shoulders heaved with a sigh. Kasai jumped immediately to his feet. He blocked another assault from Cye the moment he was up.

"Are you holding back, or do you need our help more than I thought?" Cye said.

But he wasn't listening to Cye, just trying to focus. He could feel Sage watching him. Every time he tried to shift his position Kasai felt his school uniform constricting his movements.

"Stop," he said.

"I'm not going to stop, Kasai," said Cye.

"I need to change."

Cye kept going.

"If you think a uniform is hard to fight in, try doing it in seventy-five kilos of armor."

Kasai continued to dodge back and forth.

"Aren't you going to fight me Kasai?" Cye said through a grunt, chopping at Kasai with his hands.

"You caught me off guard," Kasai said, moving aside.

"An enemy is not going to wait for you to be on your guard."

"I know that."

"I'm waiting for you to show me how much you know. Right now you're slower than my grandmother."

Kasai thought he saw Sage crack a smile. He tried to get a hit into Cye, but he was blocked with each advance. How was he supposed to match up to these guys? He thought.

"Maybe if I went easier on him, eh Sage?" Cye said.

"That won't be necessary Cye," said Sage turning away from the two of them and seating himself on the floor.

"How long are we going to do this?" Kasai asked.

"Until you show me that a Sozo can do more than dodge a couple hits," Cye said. "They say your grandfather was so great I expected more from you."

Kasai remained silent.

"You're far too polite, Kasai."

Cye hit him square I the chest and he fell to the floor again. Sage's legs were crossed and his one visible eye was closed.

"My grandfather—," Kasai began.

"Get up," Cye said.

Kasai raised himself off the floor and Cye immediately knocked him over. His limbs were feeling strained when he attempted to rise once more, but Cye didn't give him a chance to get up this time, he sent him to the floor again with another kick. Kasai began to breath, heavy and quick. He rolled around on his side, onto his feet and nailed Cye in the back with a clawed hand. Cye stumbled forward and turned.

"That took a bit longer than I thought," Cye said. His eyes widened in surprise as Kasai advanced toward him rapidly.

In a moment it was Kasai who seemed to have the upper hand. Cye was backing further away from him and blocking his hits. Kasai was methodical and practiced as he laid one hit out after the other. Cye managed to block most of them, but the boy would manage a blow every couple seconds. Sage's gaze followed the two as they made their way closer to him on the other side of the room.

"Nice to see you're trying now, Kasai," Cye said.

Kasai didn't respond.

"Stop," Sage said.

Kasai kept going.  
"Kasai!" Sage said.

Hearing his name, Kasai halted. For a moment he thought it was his grandfather

who had called him.

"What did you stop him for Sage?" Cye said. "He was doing just fine."

"Kasai, you're taking too long to warm up to the fight."

"Yes, _sensei_," Kasai said breathing heavily.

"You have experience, but little practice."

Sage paused for a moment.

"C'mon Sage, he wasn't doing so bad," Cye said crossing his arms across his chest.

"You're going to have to be as quick physically as well as mentally," Sage said looking directly at Kasai.

"Sage we're just warming up."

Cye turned to his student.

"You're doing all right, Kasai. It's just the beginning."

"Cye, that's enough."

"What, Sage? You already _told_ him what a bad fighter he is."

Sage was still.

"Our expectations should be high for this process."

"That's true, but . . ."

"I'm not being unreasonable, Cye. Kasai, take this."

Sage turned away from his friend and presented Kasai with his sword.

"_Sensei_, I can't handle a sword like this," Kasai said.

"You said you were good with a katana, so you should be versed in other weapons as well. Should you make it through, the weapon you wield will be far more powerful that a single samurai sword."

Kasai took the sword in both hands and tried to hold it steady.

"Sage, now you _are _being unreasonable. He said he couldn't handle it," Cye said taking the sword from Kasai's hands.

Sage's eye flashed.

"Kasai, excuse us for a moment please," Sage said.

Kasai watched the two men turn from him as he walked out into the hall way. He sat down right outside the door. He knew he shouldn't, but he crouched and listened to Sage and Cye speak.

"I'd appreciate some cooperation," Sage said in a low tone.

"I am here to help, Sage," said Cye, his voice rising, "but I'm not the one you're training. He is, and you're pushing him too quickly."

"I agree, but don't you think it's necessary at this point? He _has_ to learn fast, Cye!"

Cye was still holding Sage's sword in one hand, the front end of the blade resting on the ground. Sage was taking furtive glances at the sword as his friend became more agitated.

"So fast? We were hardly ready for battle at his age, what do you expect from him?"

"I don't know what to expect, all I know is where he needs to be. We're not sure when we may need him."

"We can handle things, Sage. You really think a kid like that is going to be able to fight if something were to happen now? Sending him into battle would be a death sentence! I'm trying to be optimistic, but the odds are against him."

Cye let the sword drop to the ground. The loud metallic noise echoed out to where Kasai was seated. He felt a swelling in his stomach. He wanted to prove to Cye that he was wrong, but he doubted himself almost as much as his teacher did.

"Why are we even doing this?" Cye said.

"Because we all agreed, Cye."

"Yes, _we_ agreed."

A long silence followed this last statement. Kasai realized that he had stopped breathing and took a deep breath. He was given a start when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Mr. Hana walked by with a broom resting on his shoulder. He was humming to himself and eating a banana. He stopped when he saw Kasai.

"My boy, what are you doing out here?" said Mr. Hana. "You're not in trouble with the masters are you?" he added with a chuckle.

"Um, no," Kasai started, "just taking a break, sir."

Kasai could still hear bits of Cye and Sage's conversation behind the door. He couldn't tell whether or not it was going better than before. He tried to hear over Mr. Hana.

"That's exactly what I am doing at the moment," Mr. Hana continued. "I think that after cleaning out old rooms all day one deserves a break."

Mr. Hana's chest swelled with a satisfied sigh as he finished off his snack.

"I simply love fruit," he said stuffing the banana peel into a pocket in his robe. "Do you eat them often?"

"What?"

"Bananas, they're the best ones."

"Oh, no," said Kasai nervously. Each minute he spent talking with Mr. Hana he was afraid that Sage and Kasai would finish and find him out in the hall, "can't say that I do."

"You must. They're magnificent."

Mr. Hana's eyes disappeared as he smiled. He took his broom off his shoulder and continued to sweep down the hall, away from Kasai. When he retuned his attention to the door, Kasai was worried that he had missed too much.

"Are you going to leave?" he heard Sage ask.

"I want to," Cye said, "but I won't. Not this time. I can think of someone who would be pretty mad at me if I did. I'm still fighting my inner battles, Sage."

Sage nodded.

"We really need you right now," he said.

"Can you imagine if it were up to Kento to train this kid?" Cye said laughing.

"I can imagine we wouldn't get anywhere. He'd be too busy showing off."

The two laughed for a moment. There was a lull in the conversation.

"Do you really think it's possible to replace a Ronin Warrior?" Cye said.

"Never replace, but I think that it's possible for someone like Kasai to learn what he needs to become one."

Cye nodded.

"Kasai," Sage said. "Come in here."

Kasai stepped into the room. He wondered if they had heard him and Mr. Hana outside the door.

"You shouldn't have been listening to us, Kasai," said Sage picking up his sword. "It's deceitful to gain information underhandedly, sometimes necessary, but always underhanded."

Blood rushed to Kasai's head and he felt a pang of remorse. He wasn't sure whether or not he was sorry for listening or for being caught.

"Yes, _sensei_," he said bowing.

"I suppose you know that this session will be changing course somewhat then?"

Kasai shook his head. This part of their discussion must have been drowned out when Mr. Hana was telling him about his fondness for bananas.

"Maybe he wasn't listening, Sage," Cye said.

"I highly doubt that," Sage said resting the sword on his shoulder. "In any case, Cye thought it would be beneficial to you see how you do against a weapon before we let you wield one."

Cye took a step back and leaned against the wall.

"Ready yourself, Kasai," said Sage grasping his sword in both hands and bringing it around in front of him.

Kasai had only a moment before he saw a flash of metal and a swishing noise grace his hear. Sage had swung close to his head. He had managed to barely evade the blade. He felt like he was walking on hot coals. His feet didn't stop moving. If they did he would find himself becoming better acquainted with a _nodatchi_ sword than he ever wanted. A few times between catching his breath and attempting to keep eye contact with his assailant, he glanced over to see Cye looking out the window or just staring at the floor. The last time he did this he was nicked in the elbow. A small splotch of blood began to appear through his sleeve, this caused Sage to stop. Kasai was almost glad for it. He was breathing heavily by this time.

"Are you all right, Kasai?" Sage asked rather unsympathetically.

Kasai placed his hand over his arm.

"Yes, _sensei,_" he said.

"Good, I think we're done for today then. Go see Mrs. Hana. I'm sure she'll take care of your arm."

Kasai bowed and left the room. He went out into the hall and looked around for Mrs. Hana. He wasn't sure where he would find her. He had only been in the one room of the dojo and wasn't even aware that Mr. Hana had a wife. He began to make his way back to the front of the building when he heard a loud clang down the corridor to his left.

"Aiyyyaaa!" he heard someone scream.

"My sweet peach, please forgive me!" he heard Mr. Hana say.

Kasai was hesitant to step foot down the hall. In his moment of deliberation he saw Mr. Hana come running up towards him rubbing a large lump on his head.

"Kasai," he said looking up, "good to see you again."

Mr. Hana took a step behind Kasai, who was slightly taller than the little man.

"Just be a good boy and stand there please," he said.

Confused, Kasai saw a stout, short, and serious-faced woman come strutting up the hallway after Mr. Hana with a frying pan in her hand.

"Nabeeee!" she said raising the frying pan into the air. "You come out from there!"

"No thank you, dear," Mr. Hana said as he gripped the back of Kasai's pants.

"What do you think I do?" Mrs. Hana said looking at Kasai. "I spend all my day cooking for this small man and he ruins his appetite on that fruit! Ten bananas he eats before dinner and comes to me and says he's not hungry."

"I'm sorry, Chihiro!" Mr. Hana said. "You know I have a weakness!"

"You have many weaknesses! My cooking shouldn't be one of them!" she said coming around to Kasai's side.

She was raising the frying pan into the air again preparing to bean her husband when Kasai put out his arm to protect Mr. Hana.

"Please, Mrs. Hana he—," but before Kasai could finish she took his arm and started turning it over.

"What have those men done to you?" she asked, referring to the blood on his sleeve. "I would have thought they'd treat you better than that. You come with me boy. Nabe, don't you move," she added pointing the frying pan at her cowering spouse.

Keeping hold of Kasai's arm, she dragged him down the hall past a number of faded pictures in which Kasai could have sworn he saw Mrs. Hana herself standing over a huge fallen man with her foot resting upon his chest in victory. She took him to a small free-standing cabinet filled with bandages and ointments. Very quickly, she pushed up his sleeve, wiped his arm with alcohol, rubbed something green and smelly over his cut (which she referred to as her own "remedy"), and wrapped it up in a white bandage. Kasai's arm felt extremely raw and stung sharply as he made his way back down the hallway. Mrs. Hana was pushing her husband back towards the kitchen further reprimanding his eating habits.

Kasai returned to the room where Sage and Cye should have been, but he saw they were already gone. Instead, Kayura was standing near the door waiting for him.

"I heard you did well today," she said.

Kasai put his hand over his bandage.

"I don't know if I would say so, Lady Kayura," he said.

"If you are given a compliment by the likes of the Ronin Warriors, it would be foolish not to take it, Kasai. They would not be wasting their time with someone who lacks potential. Neither would I," she said.

Kasai was silent.

"I hope that tomorrow you are not in this attitude. You're next tutor is rather reluctant to help you. He is not someone you will want to disappoint. Go home and get some rest."

Kayura turned and left. More reluctant than Cye? Kasai thought to himself. As he readied his things to leave, Kasai questioned whether or not he was supposed have taken Kayura's parting words as encouragement.


End file.
